Deadline #1 met

Wednesday, May 30th

     Left at 9:15 this a.m. not knowing if I had to be in Las Vegas on Friday or Sat.  I thought I was picking up sister-in-law Sally H. at the airport on Sat. June 1st but looked at the calender this a.m. and saw that Sat. was June 2nd. so sent out a panicky e-mail asking which day she was arriving.  I still had plenty of time either way but it's just a good thing to know.  (At end of day I found out that it is Sat. the 2nd).

     I needed gas but yikes, it was CA prices - over $4/gal.  Again, I'm in prime Grand Canyon territory so decided to drive a little further.  Next stop was even higher - $4.29 so one more exit and I settled on $4.19.  Still yikes but I got this extra treat at this funky little strip on old Route 66 (I think it was Seligman) again:

Make sure you read the name of the cafe!  I wasn't hungry yet!

     Again, beautiful vistas - from pine covered hills back to barren knobbly mounds which are very rocky with just some little rounded shrubs dotting the red ground.  Very weird but interesting landscape.

     People are so inventive - when you don't have any trees to tie your clothesline to, just string it from your porch to your car's side-view mirror.  Seemed to work just fine as long as the kids don't have soccer practice before the sheets are dry.

     Signs kept saying "Watch for Elk".  I did but I didn't.

     In Kingman there is an Andy Devine Blvd?? and as you descend into this also barren valley, there is a swath of dark green which upon getting closer, were trees people had planted in their sand-colored gravel yards.  They must do a lot of spot watering.

     Got my hair cut in Kingman - at a day spa and it cost about 1/2 of what I pay at a regular salon in FL and it was a good hair cut.  Sounds like Kingman is a lot like FL - retirees are flocking in because nice warm weather year round but no humidity but dry skin.  Can't have everything unless you move from place to place in Rhoda:)

     From Kingman, I got on Rt. 93 to Las Vegas which is a wonderfully interesting route but make sure your tank is full because it's also desolate - not of traffic but of civilization.  You're driving right in these multitude of funny little rugged, rocky mini mountains and I got to thinking (I know, too much time on my hands) - I wonder if these formations seem so different to me because there's nothing growing on them, unlike in the east, and so you see every little peak, every rock, every crack.  I wonder if westerners feel claustrophobic when they go east because there is so much foliage surrounding you and the land.

    I was so worried that I wouldn't have any pictures to show of this very interesting topography but you're in luck - there was ONE scenic pull off and so I did:

     The sun was on the screen so I couldn't really see what I was shooting and I zoomed a little too much to see the whole scene but this is called the Black Canyon with is part of Lake Mohave which isn't far from the Hoover Dam.  Whew! When I got out of the car to take this picture, it must have been 100 degrees.  I got back in Rhoda and changed clothes fast - I left this a.m. in about 40 degrees.

     At the point I left Kingman I knew that there were no opportunities for camping until I got to the Lake Mead/Hoover Dam/Las Vegas area so I was committed.  I mistakenly took the road down to the Dam - just because I was here, even though I remembered it well from our famous cross-country trip back in the 80s so didn't get out to see it again, turned around, looked at Lake Mead:

and headed for "The Strip".  Casinos began appearing as soon as I crossed into NV but I resisted:)  I did notice mega homes in Boulder City - wow!  And Las Vegas is a bustling little oasis which by the way is the name of the campground I'm at - about 1/2 mile from the airport and the office and grounds of the campground look like a resort but is no more expensive than the KOA I was at last night near the Grand Canyon.  Still hot out at 10 p.m. 

     At least I'm here - deadline #1 - in time so as not to miss Sally - whenever she decides to fly in:)  Now I wonder if I can find 2 nickels to rub together and a machine that'll still take real coins or just enjoy the Oasis.

DATA:

Had to unfold the last section of map for today's destination.

Mileage:  236                   Gas:  $89   @ $4.20                     Hair cut:   $23

Oasis:  $45 plus $6 for internet                                    Weather:  HOT

Street I wouldn't want to live on:  Devil Dog Rd.

Town I wouldn't want to live in:  Chloride, AZ